Cholesterol is the principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in animal fats and oils.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is one of the five major groups of lipoprotein that transport all fat molecules around the body in extracellular water. These groups, from least dense to most dense, are chylomicrons, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL delivers fat molecules to cells. LDL is involved in atherosclerosis, a process in which it is oxidized within the walls of arteries.
In pharmacology, the fibrates are a class of amphipathic carboxylic acids and esters. They are derivatives of fibric acid. They are used for a range of metabolic disorders, mainly hypercholesterolemia, and are therefore hypolipidemic agents.
Hypercholesterolemia, also called high cholesterol, is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood. It is a form of hyperlipidemia, hyperlipoproteinemia, and dyslipidemia.
Hyperlipidemia is abnormally high levels of any or all lipids or lipoproteins in the blood. The term hyperlipidemia refers to the laboratory finding itself and is also used as an umbrella term covering any of various acquired or genetic disorders that result in that finding. Hyperlipidemia represents a subset of dyslipidemia and a superset of hypercholesterolemia. Hyperlipidemia is usually chronic and requires ongoing medication to control blood lipid levels.
Scavenger receptors are a large and diverse superfamily of cell surface receptors. Its properties were first recorded in 1970 by Drs. Brown and Goldstein, with the defining property being the ability to bind and remove modified low density lipoproteins (LDL). Today scavenger receptors are known to be involved in a wide range of processes, such as: homeostasis, apoptosis, inflammatory diseases and pathogen clearance. Scavenger receptors are mainly found on myeloid cells and other cells that bind to numerous ligands, primarily endogenous and modified host-molecules together with pathogen-associated molecular patterns(PAMPs), and remove them. The Kupffer cells in the liver are particularly rich in scavenger receptors, includes SR-A I, SR-A II, and MARCO.
The low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) is a mosaic protein of 839 amino acids that mediates the endocytosis of cholesterol-rich low-density lipoprotein (LDL). It is a cell-surface receptor that recognizes apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB100), which is embedded in the outer phospholipid layer of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), their remnants—i.e. intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL), and LDL particles. The receptor also recognizes apolipoprotein E (ApoE) which is found in chylomicron remnants and IDL. In humans, the LDL receptor protein is encoded by the LDLR gene on chromosome 19. It belongs to the low density lipoprotein receptor gene family. It is most significantly expressed in bronchial epithelial cells and adrenal gland and cortex tissue.
Hypobetalipoproteinemia is a disorder consisting of low levels of LDL cholesterol or apolipoprotein B, below the 5th percentile. The patient can have hypobetalipoproteinemia and simultaneously have high levels of HDL cholesterol.
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disorder characterized by high cholesterol levels, specifically very high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, in the blood and early cardiovascular diseases. The most common mutations diminish the number of functional LDL receptors in the liver or produce abnormal LDL receptors that never go to the cell surface to function properly. Since the underlying body biochemistry is slightly different in individuals with FH, their high cholesterol levels are less responsive to the kinds of cholesterol control methods which are usually more effective in people without FH. Nevertheless, treatment is usually effective.
Apolipoprotein AI(Apo-AI) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the APOA1 gene. As the major component of HDL particles, it has a specific role in lipid metabolism.
Apolipoprotein C-IV, also known as apolipoprotein C4, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the APOC4 gene.
Hepatic lipase (HL), also called hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL) or LIPC (for "lipase, hepatic"), is a form of lipase, catalyzing the hydrolysis of triacylglyceride. Hepatic lipase is coded by chromosome 15 and its gene is also often referred to as HTGL or LIPC. Hepatic lipase is expressed mainly in liver cells, known as hepatocytes, and endothelial cells of the liver. The hepatic lipase can either remain attached to the liver or can unbind from the liver endothelial cells and is free to enter the body's circulation system. When bound on the endothelial cells of the liver, it is often found bound to heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG), keeping HL inactive and unable to bind to HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or IDL (intermediate-density lipoprotein). When it is free in the bloodstream, however, it is found associated with HDL to maintain it inactive. This is because the triacylglycerides in HDL serve as a substrate, but the lipoprotein contains proteins around the triacylglycerides that can prevent the triacylglycerides from being broken down by HL.
Endothelial lipase (LIPG) is a form of lipase secreted by vascular endothelial cells in tissues with high metabolic rates and vascularization, such as the liver, lung, kidney, and thyroid gland. The LIPG enzyme is a vital component to many biological processes. These processes include lipoprotein metabolism, cytokine expression, and lipid composition in cells. Unlike the lipases that hydrolyze Triglycerides, endothelial lipase primarily hydrolyzes phospholipids. Due to the hydrolysis specificity, endothelial lipase contributes to multiple vital systems within the body. On the contrary to the beneficial roles that LIPG plays within the body, endothelial lipase is thought to play a potential role in cancer and inflammation. Knowledge obtained in vitro and in vivo suggest the relations to these conditions, but human interaction knowledge lacks due to the recent discovery of endothelial lipase. Endothelial lipase was first characterized in 1999. The two independent research groups which are notable for this discovery cloned the endothelial lipase gene and identified the novel lipase secreted from endothelial cells. The anti-Atherosclerosis opportunity through alleviating plaque blockage and prospective ability to raise High-density lipoprotein (HDL) have gained endothelial lipase recognition.
Oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 also known as lectin-type oxidized LDL receptor 1 (LOX-1) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the OLR1 gene.
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is an enzyme encoded by the PCSK9 gene in humans on chromosome 1. It is the 9th member of the proprotein convertase family of proteins that activate other proteins. Similar genes (orthologs) are found across many species. As with many proteins, PCSK9 is inactive when first synthesized, because a section of peptide chains blocks their activity; proprotein convertases remove that section to activate the enzyme. The PCSK9 gene also contains one of 27 loci associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease.
Macrophage scavenger receptor 1, also known as MSR1, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the MSR1 gene. MSR1 has also been designated CD204.
Paraoxonase 3, also known as PON3, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the PON3 gene.
Paraoxonases are a family of mammalian enzymes with aryldialkylphosphatase activity. There are three paraoxonase isozymes, which were originally discovered for their involvement in the hydrolysis of organophosphates.
Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) also known as platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) is a phospholipase A2 enzyme that in humans is encoded by the PLA2G7 gene. Lp-PLA2 is a 45-kDa protein of 441 amino acids. It is one of several PAF acetylhydrolases.
The chronic endothelial injury hypothesis is one of two major mechanisms postulated to explain the underlying cause of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD), the other being the lipid hypothesis. Although an ongoing debate involving connection between dietary lipids and CHD sometimes portrays the two hypotheses as being opposed, they are in no way mutually exclusive. Moreover, since the discovery of the role of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, the two hypotheses have become tightly linked by a number of molecular and cellular processes.
